Aussie meat pies

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In this month's issue

Taste.com.au - April 2013
Eat in, eat out, eat well. Look for the taste liftout on Tuesdays in the Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph, on Wednesdays in the Adelaide Advertiser, and in Perth’s Sunday Times.

The meat pie is a year-round favourite - make one today, writes Grant Jones.

Think of The Pie. You know the one: Australian icon, half-time-at-the-footy legend, Sunday night tea-on-knee while the family watches The Voice. The all-ages favourite meal with the crackling golden pastry, rich dark meat and mandatory squirt of tomato sauce. Our National Dish. You think you know it well, but did you realise it is named after... drum roll please... that swooping summertime foe, the magpie.

It sounds like an urban myth but no less than the revered culinary tome LarousseGastronomique says it's true. This book, beloved of food geeks, describes a pie as a mix of this and that, and whatever you can find in the kitchen put in a dish and topped with pastry. It goes on to say that our feathered friend collects anything and everything for their nests so when a name was needed for the recipe, the pie – minus the mag – was christened.

Pie-eyed

Say "pie" and most Aussies think instantly of the version from the warmer at the bakery, milk bar or snack bar at the local football ground. The next thought bubble might feature the kids' birthday favourite, the party pie. These classic versions have a shortcrust base, puff pastry top and beef filling sometimes chunky, other times a finer textured mince in gravy. Then comes the variations on a theme, bought over the counter, or even more tempting, homemade with love: beef with mushroom or tomato or pepper or potato, beef bourguignon, curried beef or the pie that's either loved or loathed, steak and kidney.

Next come the multiple chicken and lamb versions – try our lamb & rosemary pie this Anzac Day – and on to fish and vegetarian. There might be pastry on top and below, or either. Some might try filo or eschew pastry altogether in favour of potato. Others use a dedicated tin or an improvised ceramic dish.

Chef Francois Cointrel says he never ceases to be surprised by what new flavours his customers will try.

"We have a new beef and bacon pie. All the customers have been asking for that," says the chief baker for Pie Face who uses his multinational staff to help him develop different seasonal flavours. Think chilli beef and kidney bean in a Mexican-inspired pot pie, an Indian flavoured chicken vindaloo or tandoori lamb, or curry pastes that bring a touch of Thai.

Another pie man, Steven Sutcliffe, from Dinkum Pies in Melbourne, will offer more than 30 pies in winter. His best seller is plain steak, but steak and mushroom, a chilli-infused hot and spicy beef pie, beef and burgundy, and chicken and mushroom are in his top five.

Textures & toppings

Having the right mix and consistency of ingredients is what you should aim for when you make a pie.

"You don't want it to be too dry, you don't want it to be runny, but you don't want it to be too thick," says Francois.

The ingredients will need to meld together in your mouth so think of the toppings as a complementary ingredient, be it a pot or cottage pie-style such as a Hungarian beef goulash with potato dumplings, feta cheese and chicken wrapped in filo or a lamb casserole topped with feather-light dumplings.

"I have plenty of pie option at the shop, but at home I'll do a pot pie with a Yorkshire pudding top on a beef stew," Steven says.

While we traditionally go for a sheet of pastry on top, there's always the chance to try potato mash and peas instead, even crushed sweet potatoes will marry well with the flavours of a tasty sauce.

As ingredients change from season to season so too must your recipe. If the meat is a little bit tough or a different cut, say chicken thighs, cook it little longer and add more liquid. If it's a more tender cut, such as fillet, then Francois cooks it quicker, and takes out a bit of liquid, as he does with fish pie.

The vegetables you include will also differ, depending on the weather. Try a leek and potato pie this autumn, says Steven, or a chicken and mushroom for a hearty, earthy flavour without the heaviness.

Leftovers

Valli Little, food director of delicious. magazine, says pies are a great way to get creative in the kitchen.

"It's all about the filling and a great way to use leftovers from chicken curry to bolognese," says Valli, offering quick and easy meal solutions for cold nights. "Try puff pastry to drape over a casserole or individual pot-pies topped with mash as simple ways to present your favourite filling."

For a bolognese pie, all you need to do is cut a thawed puff pastry sheet into quarters.

Brush the edges of a 1-cup capacity ramekin with water and fill with the bolognese. Place the pastry over it, folding over the edges, cut a cross in the centre of the pie top and brush with an egg wash. Put ramekins on a baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Job done.

Or try shredding up chicken from your Sunday roast, adding some vegetables and mixing with a white or bechamel sauce for a quick and easy pot pie.

If you like a bit of spice, create a green curry or tandoori pie using off-the-shelf paste.

Francois says one of his favourite ways to use leftovers at home is to cook what the French call hachis parmentier, and we know as shepherd's pie – a stew made from leftovers topped with potato mash.